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8.18.2013

seeing purple

I
am getting my first pair of glasses. As a “woman of a certain age”, this change
is accompanied by a number of others, some fascinating, some, not so much.
Picking out frames has been an adventure. To be very honest, none of the ones I
tried on seemed quite right. I told my husband it reminded me of the process I
undergo when I pick out a paint color.I
try a number of options, but even after selecting one, I question my choice. I
think this attitude has little to do with color considerations and more to do
with an aversion to change. Nevertheless, I hope this newest optical escapade
concludes as my painting process usually does—with either a hearty acceptance
or a serene surrender.

As
evidenced by the post title, the frames I eventually selected were purple. I
thought a rose colored shade might be nice--seeing the world through rose
colored glasses and all-- but purple was my favorite, as well as the choice of
others I polled. Finally, after this ridiculously long deliberation and
selection, the following random thoughts ensued—as my random thoughts so often
do.

Purple
is a combination of red and blue. I think that suits me, for I see red as the
color of life and passion and blue as the color of spirit and peace. A
combination of the two seems to be what I’m most often seeking. Additionally,
purple, in all its various shades, has played an ongoing role in my life,
appearing most often during times of transition-- which I’ve certainly been
experiencing of late. And lastly, during my recent observations of the
political rhetoric of the day, I’ve found myself somewhat bewildered by the
numerous references to red states and blue states and their accompanying
philosophies; for it seems that I am a product of their comingling-a purple
state, so to speak, occupying a place in-between.

So,
I am getting my first pair of glasses, and I hope I’ll continue seeing purple
and practicing being purple. Maybe for me, this is just one more step to
finding that place of life and spirit, passion and peace—a middle ground for
all the loving and living I’ve yet to do.